White House rejects meeting between survivors of 2009 Fort Hood massacre and Obama

posted at 6:01 pm on April 14, 2014 by Allahpundit

Good work by lefty Mother Jones, which has must-read background on why this was likely a deliberate snub and not a logistical snafu. As it turns out, there may be reasons beyond simple political correctness that explain why the Pentagon insists on treating Nidal Hasan’s jihadist rampage as “workplace violence.”

Imagine having taken a bullet to the head from Hasan’s gun and being told that the president doesn’t have time to meet with you but does have time for a fundraiser at a rich liberal’s house nearby.

In the years since Major Nidal Hasan opened fire in a crowded Fort Hood medical center, killing 13 people and wounding another 32, victims have struggled to get medical care and financial benefits. This is largely because of how the incident has been labeled. Although Hasan is an avowed jihadist with ties to Al Qaeda, the Pentagon considers the attack to be workplace violence rather than terrorism or combat. Thus victims aren’t eligible for many benefits and honors available to soldiers wounded or killed in action…

In 2012, nearly 150 Fort Hood victims and their family members filed suit against the Department of Defense, seeking compensation for their suffering and lost benefits. But the case has bogged down, and the Senate has balked at passing legislation that would give victims of the 2009 shooting the same benefits as soldiers killed or wounded in combat or terrorism attacks.

Lunsford and other survivors had hoped that a personal meeting might persuade the president to intervene and break the logjam. “Right now, he only knows our stories second hand,” Lunsford says. “We wanted to meet with him face-to-face so he could look us in the eyes and see our pain. That’s the only way he’s really going to understand our situation.” According to their lawyer, Reed Rubinstein, roughly two dozen victims and their relatives were planning to attend.

As I say, the MJ backgrounder is a must. The survivors have been begging the Pentagon for years to classify their injuries as combat-related so that they can receive a more robust complement of benefits and medical care. (One family says the difference in pay alone is $70,000 so far.) The brass has resisted, though, going so far as to deny them Purple Hearts in the interest of preserving the “workplace violence” charade. At one point the victims were told that it’s a matter of legal strategy: If the Defense Department had formally labeled Hasan a terrorist while the case was pending, he would have moved for a mistrial on grounds that he can no longer get a fair trial. Okay, but … the trial’s over now and the shooting still hasn’t been re-classified. Why not? Another theory, floated by Mother Jones, is that the Pentagon’s simply too embarrassed by the many, many jihadist red flags it missed in Hasan’s past and won’t call him a terrorist lest it lose face. I don’t understand that either, unless its institutional inertia taken to an Orwellian degree. Literally no one outside the Pentagon’s PR department believes that Hasan’s rampage was “workplace violence” and not terrorism; protecting the formal designation achieves nothing except to make Defense look ridiculous. I don’t see why it would matter much to a lawsuit filed by the survivors against the Department either. Whether the military was negligent in failing to sniff Hasan out before he started shooting shouldn’t turn on whether he’s guilty of terrorism or “workplace violence.” If there was a threat and they should have neutralized it, they’re liable.

A few GOP congressmen have been trying to get Hagel to do something about this. Last year they picked up Democratic support from Pennsylvania Rep. Chaka Fattah and an amendment requiring combat pay for the survivors was added to the House version of the defense appropriations bill — before it was stripped out by Harry Reid’s Senate. You can imagine, then, why the survivors would think their last, best option would be to demand an explanation from Obama face to face — and why O, knowing that, would steer far clear. Disgraceful.

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Seriously, nobody but this administration thinks this wasn’t a terrorist attack Hagel and Gates before him are worthless cowards for maintaining this farce to save face for Obama who was giving shout outs to some native American when he should have been commenting on a terrorist attack.

…which has joined Fox News in making the partisan / liberal / Obama-propaganda network news look as bad as MSLSD lately. Credit where credit is due; they have been (gasp!) committing journalism at Mother Jones.

Groups need to start picketing the White House, the capital, congress offices, etc. Make your point known and call attention to things that are going on. The White House gang won’t want that right now.

Groups need to start picketing the White House, the capital, congress offices, etc. Make your point known and call attention to things that are going on. The White House gang won’t want that right now.

crankyoldlady on April 14, 2014 at 6:21 PM

It’s past high time for protests against tho Treasonous Regime to be a CONSTANT in DC. Force the little man to hide in his Spite House in FEAR of the People, or to flee. Preferably flee the country.

I don’t understand that either, unless its institutional inertia taken to an Orwellian degree.

I worked on a discharge case when I was in the Navy that went to the Military Court of Appeals due to the exact same “institutional inertia” that I suspect is taking place here. In that case and in this one political correctness, saving face and OMG we cant let the media get ahold of this one were the goal of the day.

I found in my 30+ years in the Navy as first Active Duty and then as a civilian that once a decision is made in DC (or Millington TN with BUPERS) by gosh a decision has been made and quit questioning it. Then JAG gets involved and 18 months later they sheepishly come back and say “never mind” you were right.

Disgraceful doesn’t even begin to describe this. Despicable, disgusting, dishonest, I’m so ashamed of this president and his cold cold heart he can’t be out of our White House fast enough. It will take this country a decade or more to heal from his incompetence and ignorance and fecklessness and lies. Really, this makes me physically ill.

While they will never admit it, most of the democrat establishment is starting to come to grips with the fact that the Obama Presidency IS NOT GOING TO BE REMEMBERED AS A SUCCESS, regardless of today’s cowed press. Mostly for the fact that Obama IS an ardent leftist, and pushed the Left’s agenda harder, faster, and further than HAS EVER BEEN TRIED. Remember, the Left NEVER admits the failure of their ideas, so who does that leave to take the blame? Obama. They are having to come to grips with this because unless he wants to REALLY provoke a Revolution, he’s got barely more than 2 years left.

Now they won’t blame his failure as President on his leftism to be sure, they will blame his fecklessness and cowardice for NOT PUSHING LEFTISM EVEN FURTHER! IE: for doing Obamacare, not doing single payer, for example.

But Obama is about to be thrown under the bus of the Democrats. He (or at least his handlers know this). This is one reason why Obama wants “Obamamonitors” in the LSM news rooms as well as Fox News…

I was in the Air Force. My father was in the Navy. But, there is no way I would ever encourage my children to join today’s politically correct U.S. military.

If you remember Gen. George Casey, Jr. (who was then Army Chief of Staff), he showed no sympathy for the dead and wounded. Instead, he was concerned that diversity would suffer and about the effect on Muslims in the military.

I was in the Air Force. My father was in the Navy. But, there is no way I would ever encourage my children to join today’s politically correct U.S. military.

If you remember Gen. George Casey, Jr. (who was then Army Chief of Staff), he showed no sympathy for the dead and wounded. Instead, he was concerned that diversity would suffer and about the effect on Muslims in the military.

bw222 on April 14, 2014 at 6:39 PM

Officers like that will probably be the FIRST casualties when the revolution comes.

It would be nice if the spineless Republicans could muster the courage to criticize Obama about this or anything else. John McCain claims to be the defender of the military.

What say you Senator Senile.

bw222 on April 14, 2014 at 6:41 PM

If only Mitch McConnell would be HALF as tough on Obama as he’s being on Matt Bevin in the seemingly THOUSANDS of attack ads he’s running around here I wouldn’t feel the need to kick his ass out of the Senate and on to the lobbying gig in his future.

Technically yes. But the filthy worthless rat-eared bastard is commander of nobody.

Happy Nomad on April 14, 2014 at 6:22 PM

True.
Now if only the LA Times would release that video , we’d know WHY he hates our military so much that he rather give shoutouts when gleefully announcing a jihad attack againt Americans than look his victims in the eye and pretend to grieve with them.

You can bet your last dollar, that our Commander-in-Chief is responsible for the fact that the Ft. Hood/Hasan jihad attack is classified as work place violence, whatever the hell that means. He will never meet with those wounded soldiers, because he is a coward.

Remember, he took over as CINC, unable to pronounce Marine Corps, or Navy corpsman!

Major Traitor Hasan, whose Psychiatric business card had a crucial typo on it (not a good sign when your prospective shrink spells “Health” wrong on his card) continues to laugh at the impotent infidel dogs.

Despite the warning signs on Hasan he was a Muslim psychiatrist,very rare for the Army.They swept everything under the rug because of that. Each command he was in transferred him around to get rid of him.My unit was sent to Ft Bliss to prepare for deployment and a Jewish Rabbi was attached to us,a very rare position in the Army.The guy gets a DWI coming in the gate.As the First Sgt I was given a directive from the DOD to give him everything he needed like Kosher MRE’s and overlook any discretions.

Fellow Texans, maybe our Senators can make some noise. The blood of the fallen and injured is Texan blood, because it fell on our soil.

Write ‘em; I just did. It can’t hurt.

“To:Senators John Cornyn, Senator Ted Cruz:

Re: 2009 Fort Hood shooting victims.
Sir, I ask you to man up; stand on the floor of the Senate and ask for justice for these members of the military who have been political pawns in an Obama administration lie.

They deserve all the benefits and health care that any member of the military would receive from injury during combat.

To ask them to suffer so this Administration can perpetuate its “workplace violence” canard is inexcusable.

These brave soldiers were gunned down on Texas soil by a Muslim fanatic. Stand up and act like a Texan, sir.”

President Barack Obama is the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces. It is his duty to see that the men and women under his command are treated fairly and honorably.

In refusing to interceded on behalf of those men and women who lost their lives during the vicious terrorist attack executed by Nidal Hasan, and refusing to intercede on behalf of their survivors, widows and orphans, as well and the men and women in uniform who were injured in that heinous attack, Obama shirks his duty as Commander-in-Chief. He is, in point of fact, guilty of dereliction of duty.

He is, in point of fact, a self serving charlatan, chiseler, and cheat, anxious to cover his own negligence and that of his administration in hopes of preserving his ‘legacy’.

Barack Obama is a disgrace to the men and women who serve,and have served, honorably in the United States Armed Services, and to the citizens of this nation.

Another great example of how this country screws over those that volunteer to serve. No good deed goes unpunished.

MoreLiberty on April 14, 2014 at 6:09 PM

Correction: The country is not screwing them over, the Democrats in positions of power to screw them over are doing it. Anyone with two brain cells and an ability to recognize reality knows this situation was a terrorist attack. Obumbles and the Dems deny it because honestly would make it difficult for them to welcome the Muslim Brotherhood to the White House, to deny terrorism continues to be a threat (to deny even the term), and to cut the military to the bone.

I am certain Hassan would fully welcome the designation some want assigned to him – he’d wear it as a badge of honor. I’m happy to see him denied as much of that as possible. I’d welcome any legal maneuver that would deny him the soapbox he’s been waiting for.

Just to we’re all clear, and as you’ve noted, you’re more interested in limiting a single public statement by one of millions of Jihadists and Jihadist sympathizers, and a single statement from the same Jihadist that has already made quite the public statement by successfully murdering 13 American troops and wounding 30 others on U.S. soil, rather than honoring the soldiers and their families with appropriate medals and personnel benefits through use of your preferred “workplace violence” terminology?

Am I understanding your consistency correctly?

rogerb on August 23, 2013 at 5:19 PM

Dead thread after that.

BTW, it’s still on the front page, verbaluce.

Wasn’t five days long enough for you to come up with a roundabout non-answer on why you prefer frustrating a successful terrorist for thirty seconds over giving appropriate honors and benefits to our dead and wounded troops and their families?